In the world of track and field there isn’t a more charismatic and larger than life athlete than the American sprinter Noah Lyles.
The reigning 100 meter champion has had little issues becoming the self-proclaim face of the sport with his showmanship. However, his supreme confidence that many view as self-centered and over the top backfired following his 200 meter loss in Thursday’s final at the Paris Olympics.
Lyles was building up the narrative that he would become the first sprinter to pull off the double since Jamaica’s Usain Bolt. After winning the Bronze in Tokyo, Lyles had not lost a 200 meter race since placing second in his semifinal heat behind the eventual gold medal winner, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo.
And after his photo-finish win in the 100 meters on Sunday, it all seemed possible.
But it wasn’t meant to be for Lyles in the 200 final in Paris this week as he settled for the bronze and made a bigger spectacle after the loss then when ecstatically appeared out of the tunnel with leaps and jumps that even triggered a warning for lack of sportsmanship.
It didn’t take fans long to come for him via social media.
You’re sick but came out to do all this before the race? pic.twitter.com/xGF7KWMkak
— Alex 🇯🇲 (@JoyBoyLex) August 8, 2024
Lyles Takes Beating For NBA Comments
Many fans on social media couldn’t wait to tease and taunt the world’s fastest man about comments he made in Budapest at the World Championships last year. When asked what he wanted to do for the sport of track and field, Lyles weirdly took a shot at the NBA.
“You know the one thing that hurts me the most is I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have world champion on their head,” Lyles said. “World champion of what? The United States? Don’t get me wrong. I love the U.S. — at times — but that ain’t the world.”
The comment at the time even prompted NBA legend and Team USA men’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer Kevin Durant to chime in on the post.
“Somebody help this brother.”
Fans Questioning Lyles COVID Announcement
Lyles, who suffered from asthma since childhood, left the track in a makeshift wheel chair. “I’ve had better days,” Lyles said after the race. “I do have Covid. I tested positive around 5:00 am on Tuesday morning.”
But fans everywhere are calling his COVID diagnosis a hoax that only came up because he lost.
Instead of praising Lyles for running with COVID and calling him “gutsy or courageous” fans all over X had other choice words for the sprinter. One fan even called Lyles reckless, amongst other things.
“I think the words you were searching for are selfish and arrogant.” one person wrote on X
Lyles’ actions on Thursday are eerily similar to former Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce leaving Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals, only to return in a wheelchair. Pierce’s return sparked a win and all was forgotten. Lyles didn’t win the gold and observers say he went straight to making up excuses.
Lyles’ Sportmanship Stays In Question
Lyles is supremely confident and at times an over-the-top personality. That’s both good and bad, and when he loses his peers love to see it.
Following his upset win, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo was asked if he aspires to be the face of track. His response sounded like someone who’s tired of seeing Lyles’ antics, with the African phenom saying he’ll never have the opportunity to become the face of the sport because he’s not brash like Lyles.
“I can’t be the face of athletics because I’m not an arrogant or a loud person like Noah Lyles,” Tebogo said.
Letsile Tebogo was asked after winning the men's 200m final if he aspires to world records and being the face of track and field.
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) August 8, 2024
Here was his answer:
"I can't be the face of athletics because I'm not an arrogant or a loud person like Noah (Lyles)."#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/HzafPb1kaM
Following the loss, the 27-year-old sprinter announced that he’s done at these Olympics after being replaced on the Olympic team’s 4×100 meter relay because of COVID.
Later that evening, Lyles was seemingly back to himself with a post to his haters and fans alike on his Instagram page.
“I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics. It is not the Olympic I dreamed of but it has left me with so much Joy in my heart,” Lyles said on Instagram. “I hope everyone enjoyed the show. Whether you were rooting for me or against me, you have to admit you watched, didn’t you?
